Out of the mouths of babes

Seamless, as Promised

My husband and I used to bicker NOT over what was for dinner, who was setting the table, or who was getting left with the dishes, but rather simply who was going to get stuck ordering in the meal. Yuck. No matter how hungry I am or what I’m craving, this chore can easily make me lose my appetite.

Let’s be honest: the whole process stinks. Almost as much as cooking. (I’m being very candid!) I don’t mean to stereotype, but the person taking the order generally can’t speak or understand English well. So you are forced to repeat yourself several times, as well as being put on hold and then having to start all over. Then there’s the whole dilemma of getting the credit card information correctly. And don’t even get me started on providing my unique address which they generally respond as not being in their coverage area when in fact it most certainly is.

I am seriously in debt to a dear friend who recently turned us on to Seamless, a website for ordering delivery and takeout food, formerly known as SeamlessWeb.

It doesn’t get much more civilized than this. After inputting your order online, you receive an email confirmation and a heads up on how long it should take until your order will be delivered. The delivery person shows up to your home with a bag containing your food. There’s no need to fumble with your wallet or hand him your credit card. Nor do you don’t have to try to figure out how much to tip him. All you have to do is take your bag. The only thing that could make this an even better, more pleasant experience is if I was handed a zero-calorie, guilt-free, outrageously delicious brownie sundae for dessert. That would definitely be the cherry on top. (Getting working on that upgrade, folks!)

Last September, Seamless acquired MenuPages, expanding its reach beyond food ordering to become the resource for food and restaurant content, including menus, ratings, contact information, and reviews. As a result of the acquisition, Seamless now has a database of more than 40,000 restaurant partners and menus, and expands Seamless content and ordering capabilities to more than 50 cities worldwide. MenuPages’ also offers a proprietary menu transcription and updating tool that allows menus and restaurant information to be updated efficiently. Together, the brands’ online properties draw 1.5 million unique visitors per month.

So this friend should know who she is and how dear she is to my family and I. She has done countless stuff for me, including watching my son, offering an open ear, sometimes a shoulder to cry on, being a writing buddy, a wonderful person to share a laugh with. I definitely owe her a meal of her choice at any restaurant who participates with Seamless. Thanks again, dear friend!

To all my other friends who haven’t used Seamless yet, “Try it, you’re gonna like it.”